Psychogenetics of post-traumatic stress disorder: a short review

Ahmed Rady, Adel Elsheshai, Osama Elkholy, Heba Abou el Wafa
Department of Psychiatry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a commonly overlooked psychiatric disorder due to the heterogeneity of symptoms that may simulate many other psychiatric disorders. Such heterogeneity of manifestations may be explained by the multifaceted nature of the different neurotransmitters, endocrinologic axis, and their genetic basis, that are implicated in the etiology. Although this disorder has been studied from many different perspectives, its etiology is still enigmatic. This minireview demonstrates, in brief, that different susceptibility genes are associated with post traumatic stress disorder.

Keywords: trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, psychogenetic, stress response, neurobiology